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Things to Do in NYC: Tour 'Sex and the City' Hotspots

The NYC that the fab-four inhabited on a nightly basis was just as important as the rest of the glitz and glamour. So strap on your high heels, grab your girlfriends and relive some of your favorite SATC scenes in these hot spots in the city that never sleeps!

OLD TOWN BAR

The place: New York. The time: The beginning of Sex and the City Season 2. In an attempt to get over Mr. Big, Carrie heads out on a date with a New York Yankee. Drinking beers (which are always $5) and catching peanuts in their mouths, they’re enjoying their time at Old Town Bar's welcoming 55ft mahogany bar. Unfortunately, after running into Mr. Big, Carrie ends up cutting the date short. All other patrons however are sure to enjoy the charming atmosphere and simplicity of one of the oldest and best bars in the city.

In an attempt to be “just friends,” Carrie and Big decide to meet for lunch at this upscale Flatiron eatery. Opt for a Scotch or Cosmopolitan as Big and Carrie did (and, as they did, bail on their initial choices--water and tea). Save your marriage announcement however, for another time. A few cocktails in, Big drops the bomb that he and his girlfriend are engaged. While the atmosphere at Eleven Madison Park is very chic and polished, nothing about Carrie’s lashing out at Big was graceful. Enjoy your visit, but be wary of the infamous steps Big and Carrie both had the misfortune of stumbling down.

“It was a little past ten and I was dressed to the nines at Brasserie 8 ½” Carrie cleverly narrates. It was in this swanky subterranean Midtown restaurant and lounge that she and Stanford could be found sipping dirty martinis. She runs into friend and fashionista Lynn Cameron who invites her to participate in a fashion show with New York’s “real people”. The Brasserie, with its impressive sweeping orange staircase and trendy atmosphere, provides the perfect backdrop for you to enjoy your own dirty martinis. New York isn't known to be a forgiving town, however, so make sure you don’t end up fashion road kill like Carrie did.

Carrie brings Jazz musician Ray King to the opening of NYC's massive Pan-Asian Tao for their first date. As they wind their way through the enormous 12,000 ft space, they run into non other than Mr. Big and his supermodel date. The evening continues its awkwardness, with the love triangle being joined by Samantha and her soon to be lesbian lover Maria joining the table under the backdrop of the iconic 16ft Buddha. This multilevel Asian Mecca was swarming with anxious New Yorkers on that infamous evening of it’s opening, and continues to draw throngs of people nightly in search of their specialty cocktails and creative Asian fare.

When Miranda's once and future boytoy Steve partners up with Carries ex, Aidan, to open ‘SCOUT’, it is Onieal’s Grand Street that serves as the backdrop for the casual downtown New York bar. Despite the fact the girls are no longer with the bar partners, they both manage to make an appearance at the bars opening party. A guilty Carrie (who had just spilled the beans of her affair with Mr. Big to Aidan) sees the furniture designer’s craftsmanship in the mahogany bar, wood floors and intricately designed ceiling. In real life, this craftsmanship dates back to the bar’s old speakeasy days.

While Carrie’s beau Aidan’s idea of a Saturday night includes a lazy boy and a bucket of fried chicken, Carrie has her sights set a little higher. She accepts an invite to New York's ultra-exclusive club Bungalow 8 “that you need like a key to get into” from inevitable new gay friend, shoe distributor Oliver Spencer. Aidan is dumbfounded and confused by the idea of such exclusivity, but the celebrity clientele, superb cocktails and V.I.P treatment is enough to lure Carrie and any New York woman away from her sweetheart. While a key is no longer needed at this NYC nightlife mainstay, the door is still very tight it continues to cater to New York’s elite as one of the city’s hottest spots.

Bungalow 8

515 W. 27th St. between 10th and 11th Aves. 212-629-3333

SUSHI SAMBA

When Samantha discovers her hot shot hotel tycoon boyfriend Richard in flagrante delecto with another woman, he tries to win her back over dinner at a trendy New York restaurant. Samantha, seeking retribution, agrees to meet at Sushi Samba which sets the stage for one of the best payback scenes of all time. The bright and modern décor at this Brazilian-Japanese fusion hot spot was the opposite of what was needed for the “apology dinner”.Samantha has barely settled into their booth before she picks up the martini and throws it in his face. It’s a shame she didn’t stay long enough to enjoy some of the exotically creative fare, but that doesn't you mean you can't!